Savior Darkness
by SwanMillsFiction
Summary: Regina comes to the Emma for answers but what she gets is more than she expected. The revelation of her own feelings comes to haunt her as she tries to reach Emma and bring her back from the depths of darkness. But it's very tempting to leave Emma this way, as Regina finds herself constantly aroused by the Dark Swan's tactics. Two corrupted hearts struggle resisting their darkness.
1. Kiss of Doom

Regina comes to the Dark Swan for answers but what she gets is more than she expected. The revelation of her own denied feelings comes to haunt her as she tries to reach Emma and bring her back from the depths of darkness. But it's very tempting to leave Emma this way, as Regina finds herself constantly aroused by the Dark Swan's tactics. Two corrupted hearts struggle resisting the call of darkness.

* * *

 **Kiss of Doom**

* * *

The door burst open after a gust of wind, allowing Regina to storm in. A week had passed since the Fury attacked them and Emma had not made any appearances after the incident. Rumor had it Hook had broken up with her, people heard him telling this to his comrade Smee while both men got drunk in a tavern near the docks and had a good time with women you pay a small price for a night of _magic._ Yes, Storybrooke had its own clandestine brothel; Regina had found it suited to carry it all the way from the Enchanted Forest. It was a needed "evil" for some (or many), and who was she to judge? She didn't think much of it, really. To her it was just an adult recreational park.

"Swan! Where the hell are you?" Regina called for her.

It was the third time this week she'd come to 710 on Mifflin Street only to find an empty house. One would think the Dark Swan would be careful enough to leave her door locked with a blood spell, but she never did. Mere mortals wouldn't dare come near, but Regina would, so it was almost like an invitation for her to do.

"Do what you're so skilled at and make yourself at home, Regina."

Emma's voice came from everywhere and nowhere at the same time, Regina couldn't see her. She sounded tired but there was still the edge of danger in her tone.

Regina remembered she had said the same exact words to Emma before, the day she planned to send her away from Storybrooke with a _little something_ _for the road,_ spiced-up with a sleeping curse, almost three years ago.

"So you _are_ home. Then why don't you show up, _Dark Swan_?"

Regina marked the title so she would taunt Emma and make her come out, but still there was no sight of her. She paced in the foyer as she grew more impatient, and as she did so, her eye caught notice of the strange wooden door under the staircase.

 _Where could that possibly lead to?_ She had to investigate.

"Or are you suddenly afraid of the _Evil Queen_?" Regina taunted again.

She walked toward the mysterious door then, but in a flourish of black smoke Emma appeared to her, stopping her dead on her track just before her hand made it to the knob.

"Ha! _Please,"_ Emma let out a throaty laugh, "we _both_ know the only one afraid here is the _Savior wannabe_ ," Emma responded mockingly. "Just accept it. You're a fraud," there was a special bite to Emma's last line, laced with disappointment. And... _Sadness?_

Regina felt at fault, but she had no idea of why, no memory of the reason behind this feeling of guilt. It couldn't just be because she was forcing herself to become a _Savior_ and borrow Emma's hard-earned title.

Regina swallowed nervously as she locked eyes with Emma's cold stare, looking for answers she knew she wouldn't be getting. At least not easily, not without a fight. With Emma it was always play tug of war.

She found her voice again, "If I'm so afraid of you then why am I here?" She tried to be challenging, it was at what they both excelled.

"I don't know, Regina, why don't _you_ tell _me_? You're the trespasser," she smiled sarcastically.

"I don't have time for games, Miss Swan," Regina rolled her eyes. And _that_ was like if Regina had just pulled the plug.

" _Games?_ I'm _not_ playing with you," Emma took a step forward, daringly. "Yet."

Regina felt intimidated, took a nervous step back but the Dark One took yet another further, getting closer to her again, and continued cornering her until she was driving Regina back to the door from where she'd entered and now they were so close Regina could feel the heat radiating from Emma's body impossibly angry.

"Tell me _why_ have _you_ come _here,_ was it just to taunt me? ME, the _Dark One?_ " Emma brought her face just few inches from Regina's. "Are you so inclined on dying you must _jump_ at every opportunity? You're _no_ Savior: you don't value life, Regina, only when it suits you.So, tell me, what else do you want from me that I haven't given you already? Was your _Happy Ending_ not enough?" she snarled.

Emma's voice was dark, loud; her words: sharper than the dagger that commanded her. Emma continued to make Regina feel responsible of something she had no way of remembering.

Regina heard the door slam shut behind her, startling her more, and when she turned again Emma's face was now just _an inch_ from her own, eyes dark with rage, but also something more as they glanced down at her lips for a second that lasted too long.

"Emma…" Regina whispered.

Her body was shaking, her mind was spinning; she felt she would faint from the impression, but stood her ground. Everything was going too fast for her to make any sense.

"Why are you saying this? Whatever I did to you in Camelot, please tell me! I need to know so I can do right by you. I want to keep my word and _save you."_

Regina could see Emma's vein pulsing in her temple, like a ticking bomb about to explode any moment and she would be the only victim it would be taking down with her. Then, silence.

Emma leaned down and almost nestled her face in the curve between neck and shoulder, closed her eyes, inhaled deeply, taking in Regina's sweet smell, and let it out in a heavy sigh that was more unnerving than it was relieving. She pulled back from nearly touching with Regina's skin and opened her eyes slowly to study Regina's lips once more.

Regina's heart was pounding so hard inside her chest she thought Emma might be able to hear it. She was so scared of this Emma, but at the same time she couldn't help but feel this magnetic pull toward her that made her crave to feel her closer. _Much_ _closer._

"There's nothing left to save; this is who I am now."

Heat turned into coldness and momentarily Regina was sure she had just seen _Emma,_ broken-hearted, and she couldn't stop herself from trying to reach her again, so she took the last step that kept them separated. Nervous hands glided over the warm wool of Emma's trenchcoat to rest on her back, chin coming to lay on Emma's shoulder as Regina tentatively- insecurely, held onto the Dark Swan's body in an awkward embrace. Their very first, and quite possibly the last hug.

"You're right," Regina said softly, holding onto Emma's body even though she was not returning the hug. "Emma, I—"

Emma's body stiffened as Regina held her closely. She pretended to be unaffected by the hug she never saw coming, but for which she'd been yearning since the first time she laid eyes on the Mayor. _But that was her secret;_ a secret she swore would be buried in Camelot forever with their memories, and now it was back to haunt her, just as was the _reach of light._

"You have to go..." Emma's voice came out weakly.

"Emma, please," Regina pleaded.

"Leave before you say something you'll regret later!" Emma raised her voice and pushed her away. "GO! Just, go!"

"Emma, stop! Why do want to make me run away from you? What happened to us in Camelot?"

"Us?" Emma's darkness returned. "You sure you want to know _what_ happened, _how_ it happened, _where_ it happened?" Emma grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her close, body flush against hers.

Regina felt a mix of fear as well as excitement with Emma holding her more intimately but oh so dangerously. Part of her wanted to stay this way forever; the other to vanish before it was too late—perhaps it was already. This could be her doomsday.

"Let me _show_ you," Emma whispered in her ear, voice mellow, but you shouldn't let it fool you.

Black smoke engulfed them and after dissipating Regina found they were underground, in her very own vault.

"Emma, why have you brought me he—"

Regina was shut by Emma's lips crashing on hers, and _oomphed_ into the kiss when her back hit cold stone as Emma pushed her against a wall, lips still locked, tongue demanding entrance to her mouth, which she didn't deny, against her better judgment.

 _Was this really happening or was she dreaming?_

No matter, it was just as chilling as it was arousing and Regina had always found herself drawn into loving someone forbidden.

 _But this wasn't Emma;_ it was the _Darkness_ , and Regina pushed her away and gasped for air.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

"Showing you," the Dark Swan responded casually. And claimed her again, this time burying her face in her neck, giving as much pleasure as there was pain in every kiss, every _bite._

Regina felt her strength leave her arms, her knees, as she tried to fight off Emma but not really; hers were effortless attempts at ridding herself of the Darkness having a taste at her, she was letting it _feast_ on her.

"Emma…" Regina groaned, throwing her head back to expose her throat for _her_ Savior — the Dark One — to devour with her kisses.

Regina's fingers got tangled in tresses of white, silky hair that had come loose from Emma's now undone bun as Emma moved down to kiss the valley between Regina's breasts, nicely exposed by the pronounced v neck of the black lace camisole under her red blazer.

Emma had her just where she wanted; at a point of no return where Regina could only want _more._ She just needed to make sure, so she snaked a hand down Regina's torso, feeling how her muscles contracted at her touch, how Regina's breath became much more ragged, and felt with her bare hand the humidity from Regina's arousal through the fabric layers.

"Em-ma," Regina was now moaning her name and it was music in Emma's ears, but she was not about to give into Regina's power over her. No, not again. Not ever. It was Regina who had to _break_ this time.

Emma's hand rubbed against Regina's sex through the fabric, but when Regina sought her lips to kiss her again, Emma pulled her head back and looked her in the eye, coldly.

"If only I had been your soulmate," she told her as she retrieved her hand from between her legs.

Regina looked with shock and disbelief at her. Emma sneered and had malice in her eyes.

"I would have given you _this_ happy ending. So to your question: this is a clue of what you did to me," Emma told her before vanishing, voice quavering momentarily.

Regina was speechless. She felt frustrated that she had been so riled up only to be left unsatisfied and dumbfounded.

 _Had she really done this to Emma back in Camelot?_

 _Had she used her?_

Regina had had her share of wet dreams with Emma when she first came to town, but she never acted on her impulses. But whatever happened in Camelot, stayed in Camelot and she urgently needed to remember.

* * *

 **Note:** Originally intended as a smutty one shot but it kind of became a little more. I can't really do "no plot" smut- doesn't come easily to me, so here goes this one slightly toxic fic because I do enjoy some evil.


	2. Sweet Dreams

Let me know what you think of this! I enjoy reading your reviews.

* * *

 **Sweet Dreams**

* * *

Regina remained frozen on her spot for a minute or two, shocked at all of what had just happened between her and Emma — _the Dark O_ ne, she reminded herself. Though, it had not felt like it had been someone else but _her Emma_ who had kissed and touched her in ways she'd only hoped to feel in her most secret dreams. Emma had been a sweet fruit forbidden to her, but now… Now she wasn't sure if it had been Regina who had always been the feast at the dinner and Emma the Darkness that longed to devour her. It had always seemed the other way.

Regina looked around her in the vault and noticed she was right beside the small bunk bed that had been witness to her sinful escapade with Robin and then with Maleficent, that night of alcohol and recklessness with the _"Queens of Darkness."_

Did Emma know? She had never told her. They were friends, but not the kind of friends who share details of their intimacy. Strange, wasn't it? Because she had no problem sharing them with Maleficent or maybe even Mary Margaret. But, Emma? Not a chance.

That night, Regina couldn't sleep. She kept feeling Emma's lips burning in her neck as if she still were kissing her; the caress of hands exploring her thighs and hips, and the beating of her heart accelerating. Soon she was reliving the scene in her dreams, wishing in this realm she could come to climax and get over with it, but it didn't happen. Emma still pulled away before her lips could touch hers and disappeared in her black smoke again. She had another dream after that one, but it didn't feel like a dream, it was more like a memory.

Regina was in her bedchambers, but these were not her chambers from the Enchanted Forest, nor her bedroom in Storybrooke, it was somewhere else. Camelot.

 _Regina was pacing before a big magical mirror in her bedchamber and in the reflection there stood Maleficent, with whom she was talking in the middle of the night after they'd found Emma lurking Regina's closet where she kept the dagger._

"I just don't know how to help her. I… I am in debt, and you know how much I hate feeling I owe someone," Regina was saying to her former Mistress.

"It's hardly _indebted_ the way you feel about the Savior, Regina," Maleficent commented cleverly.

"What are you implying? I'm not in the mood for riddles. I've enough riddles with trying to harvest a wizard ripe from a tree," Regina responded angrily, a hand going protectively to her stomach as she continued pacing and evading Maleficent's scrutinizing stare.

"I haven't implied anything, dear, I'm stating the obvious. Which holds truth since you've suddenly become so... yappy."

"Just say what's on your mind, my _dear_ Maleficent, don't beat around the bushes."

"Very well," Maleficent smirked. "I was merely pointing out this isn't about a debt. You care for her, Regina, and that much was obvious when we were together the last time."

"What? Don't be ridiculous. We… share a son — we _both_ care for Henry, so, naturally, we had to develop some sort of… friendship. _For Henry,_ " Regina emphasized, "And when you and I were together that night, I was just… worried she might have followed us. We aren't exactly the quiet kind."

Maleficent chuckled at that. "No. _You_ are not the quiet type, which I appreciate," she bit her bottom lip as she let her eyes rake down and up the brunette in her beautiful red gown. "But keep telling yourself that, darling. Maybe one day you'll even convince your heart it is Robin Hood whom you _truly_ love."

"Mal..." Regina rolled her eyes.

"All I'm saying is: have you thought about kissing the darkness out of her? Although, I must say, you do quite love your women being on the darker side of the spectrum. Perhaps leave it as it is? Might make her all the more... savory."

"Enough! I'm not hearing more of this nonsense," Regina yelled to the mirror.

"Come on, _little one,_ it was you who contacted me," Maleficent reminded her.

"You're right. Now I'd like to be left alone." Regina waved her hand and made the mirror vanish into purple smoke.

But then she heard a noise behind her door, noticed it was ajar. Someone had been peeking and she couldn't let them go. She couldn't have another confrontation like the one they had with Percival at the ball, which almost got Robin killed.

Regina knelt on the floor and put her hands where the spy had been standing, used her magic and made it reveal the path her stalker had taken. Red lines of magic began glowing on the floor and through the castle, drawing a path Regina proceeded to follow, guiding her to Emma's bedchamber up in a tower.

She knocked then, one, two, three times - no answer.

"You leave me no choice," Regina said to herself as she unlocked the door with her magic and opened it slowly to peek inside.

"Emma?" Regina called out softly. She took a step inside and then another.

Emma's bed seemed to still be neatly made, not a sign of Emma there.

There was a loud thud behind her and when Regina turned to look, the door had shut behind her. The air smelled of magic, dark, powerful magic, and Regina was sure whose it was. She stepped into the room, cautiously.

"How much did you hear?" Regina asked.

Emma had her back to her, facing a window that held several dream catchers hanging from it.

She walked closer to the center of the chamber, trying to slowly approach Emma.

Rumplestiltskin's voice then echoed in Emma's head.

 ** _"She doesn't want to help you. It's your time now; help yourself. Leave her locked here and go take what's yours."_**

"No. She cares about me," Emma responded feebly.

 ** _"Don't be a fool. Didn't you hear her? She only stands you because of that son you are forced to share. There's nothing else. Not for you. Ever."_**

"Stop! Leave me alone!" Emma screamed as she covered her ears to try to mute the voice.

"Emma, please, I need to talk to you," Regina took another step closer.

 ** _"Just a wiggle of your nose and the Queen could be toast,"_** _Rumplestiltskin was giggling._ **_"Go get your freedom. Get the dagger."_**

"I can't do this," Emma continued talking with the darkness.

"Emma don't listen to that voice, let me help you," Regina reached a hand and gently put it over Emma's right shoulder.

 ** _"Now's the moment, dearie, trrrap her,"_** _Rumplestiltskin kept pushing._

"You…" Emma turned around in a quick movement, her eyes glowing with magic as she looked menacingly at Regina, clawing at the wrist from the hand that had dared touch her.

"Emma?" Regina looked with pain and worry at her. "It's me."

 _ **"Do it. Rip her heart out and crrrush it. You can be unstoppable. You can be free. If you. Just. Kill. Her."**_

"No!" Emma closed her eyes to stop seeing him and pulled Regina into her arms, holding onto her tightly. "I don't want to hurt you," she sobbed into Regina's hair.

"It's okay, Emma," Regina tried to calm her, but she was in as much shock because this was the first time she and Emma were ever this close—in an embrace, nothing less, and it made her heart race inside her chest, warmth spreading through her body like liquid magic, a feeling indescribable.

When Emma looked from Regina's shoulder to behind her and around the room, she noticed the presence of the darkness had gone. Rumplestiltskin was gone.

"Regina, please don't leave me," Emma was desperate.

Emma's plea made Regina feel another wave of warmth inside her.

"I won't leave your side, Emma, if that's what you want me to do. I will… get your back, like you did mine," she smiled warmly a she lovingly run her fingers through golden curls.

Emma nodded and nestled her face in the soft curve between Regina's neck and shoulder. It was the most natural feeling, being in this position, so natural it escaped both of them.

"So warm," Emma mumbled.

"Hmn?" Regina hummed confusedly and then they both noticed they were still holding in an embrace, standing before the dream catchers' window as the moonlight bathed their bodies, casting only one shadow, the one of them together.

It was awkward but none of them was making the first move to separate, self-aware, but hesitant to make it too obvious. It was odd how soothing this felt. Being close. Being together.

"Ever after the darkness was tethered to me, I've been feeling cold. But you feel so warm, it's just strange."

"Oh, sorry," Regina broke the hug then, misunderstanding what Emma meant. "If you feel better, let me know if you want me to leave."

"No!" Emma replied instantly, startling Regina a little. "I didn't mean a bad strange… just… a nice kind of strange. It felt comfortable. _Safe._ "

"So… want me to stay?"

"Please."

They gazed into each other's eyes for a moment, then Emma got nervously into her bed. She got under the covers and Regina pulled a chair beside her to keep watch while she slept. It was uncomfortable- the chair, not this. This was more... _awkward_ , but at the same time it felt so good to be caring for Emma in her sickness, it reminded her of when Henry had a fever and she wouldn't leave his side. But this wasn't Henry; it was Emma, and that made it feel different— _special_ , and she enjoyed this more than she would openly admit. Caring for Emma felt so familiar in a different way.

Emma was shaking despite the many covers in her bed. Regina had even covered her with her baby blanket she brought across realm, but nothing helped ease the cold in Emma. When she finally appeared to be sleeping, Regina placed a tentative hand on her forehead to check her temperature. She was still cold and Regina went to make the hearth much warmer with her magic.

Emma's raspy voice made her turn from the hearth back to her.

"You and Maleficent?"

"That was a long time ago," Regina responded nervously. "Go back to rest."

"A month ago is not a long time by my book," Emma pushed some of the covers away so she could see Regina better, sitting upright.

"Excuse me?" Regina swallowed hard, fidgeting with her hands.

"I knew you were hiding something, just never expected that you two were… involved."

"Well, forgive me if I don't like talking about my sex life with you."

"Yeah, it's better if I don't know," Emma's tone was sharp now, like she was angry. Maybe even jealous?

"Are you offended? _You_ were the one spying; I'm the one who should feel offended."

"I wasn't spying on you! I was… just… Look, the dagger _called_ for me, okay."

"And you just had to stay and listen to my private conversation," Regina crossed her arms over her chest.

"I couldn't help eavesdropping. You were talking about me so…" Emma was nervous now, but more energetic.

"I see you're feeling much better, Swan, maybe be we can call it a night. I'm going to my own bedchambers," Regina turned her back to her and was about to vanish when Emma's question stopped her.

"Do you care about me?"

Regina swallowed nervously. "Miss Swan—"

"And don't give me your back. Turn around so I can see you."

"Seriously?" Regina sighed, but still turned around. "I… care about my son's happiness, and that means _you_ being _back_ to your regular self. So, yes, I suppose I may care about you to some degree."

Emma raised an _"are you fucking kidding me"_ eyebrow, but then _the voice_ was back.

 _ **"I told you,"** Rumplestiltskin sneered. **"She only cares about her own happy ending."**_

Emma's eyes suddenly turned to lock on something in the distance, on something Regina couldn't see.

"Emma?" Regina worried.

Emma tried to cover her ears to stop hearing it, but it was helpless.

 _ **"And that, dearie, we both know does not include you,"**_ he sing-sang.

"I don't care!" Emma yelled. "Go away! Go away, Regina!"

"I'm not leaving you like this," Regina ran to bed but didn't know what to do.

"I will get used to it — to the voice. Now leave me alone!" Emma insisted, directing it at both presences.

Regina surrounded her with her arms and held on tightly. "No, I won't."

"Why, if it's clear you don't care about me!" Emma responded between strangled sobs.

"Because, you're right, I don't _care_ about you. I LOVE YOU!" Regina surprised even herself with the confession.

Emma stopped struggling inside her arms and looked for Regina's eyes to confirm she wasn't lying with so much hope for assurance.

"Don't do that! I hate your stupid super power," Regina brought her hands to her face to hide her embarrassment.

Emma still looked at her, brought her own hands to delicately remove Regina's so she could see her flushed face.

"I love you, too," she gave Regina a beautiful, bright smile, framed by happy tears coming down from green eyes.

"Are you sure? This is insane," Regina was incredulous but hopeful.

"It's clear as day. Why else would I have protected you from the darkness? All I want is for you to be happy," Emma admitted, weeping, "even if it's not with me."

"Emma…"

Regina cupped her face in her hands and brushed away the tears with her thumbs. She looked deeply into her eyes as Emma's lips parted slightly in awe. But as she was leaning closer, the door suddenly broke open and Hook entered, fuming, and he got even more furious when he saw Regina in bed with Emma so close, and it was obvious Emma had been crying.

"I knew you wouldn't keep your hands to yourself for long, you bloody witch! What perverted hex do you have her on?" He demanded an answer.

"None!" Regina was just as surprised as she was angry.

"Killian, it's not what you think," Emma tried to calm him.

"No! Love, you have to stop defending her, it's insane. She's sick, but I won't let her bewitch you the way she did her wenches!" Hook insisted.

"You're crossing a line you would much rather not, Captain." Regina warned him. "The only reason I haven't killed you is because of Emma."

With the yelling and arguing, they brought more attention to the tower and soon Robin and Snow and David had come, too, to check on Emma. Emma continued trying to make Hook calm down, but he was too angry to listen and eventually left the room to go take some fresh air. He was sure Regina had cast a spell on her, that would explain why his kiss didn't break the curse on Emma.

Regina went to Robin's side, but before joining him, she sadly whispered to Emma as she passed her.

"I told you it was insane." She continued moving.

"Are you alright, my love?" Robin Hood asked Regina.

"Yes. I'm fine," she responded tiredly.

"I'm glad to hear that. Let's go."

Robin then leaned in for a kiss and Regina hesitated a little, feeling Emma's eyes on them, but she still gave him the kiss. She couldn't let the drama grow bigger, or any of their hopes higher. Robin was after all her fated soulmate. She and Emma… that was not possible. It wasn't even logical.

David and Snow stayed with Emma for the rest of the night, but she wouldn't tell them why she was weeping. She begged them to leave her alone but they wouldn't, and the next day they convinced Regina to give Arthur the dagger. Maybe with Excalibur he could save Emma: it was her best chance.

Regina woke up abruptly, lit the lamp on her bedside and when she looked around her, she was stunned to find her room full of black roses. She got up from bed and walked toward the biggest floral arrangement on her vanity, picked the small card on it and read the message.

"My gift to you are these memories."

 _Emma._


	3. Destroy Me

**Note:** There is some Dragon Queen in this chapter, though they do not consummate the encounter.

* * *

 **Destroy Me**

* * *

Regina ripped the card into pieces, tossed it in the trash bin in her bathroom and came back to her bedroom. She lifted her pillow and from underneath retrieved a small dreamcatcher, the one responsible for giving her these "memories" or quite elaborate movie that played during her sleep to make her feel as though she were guilty of Emma's turning completely dark, back in Camelot. That her breaking Emma's heart had extinguished the last light of hope she held within her.

Regina couldn't let _this_ Emma get to her. She wouldn't let her get under her skin… _or under her sheets._

 _No. Not gonna think about THAT._ She shook her head.

The one real memory from last night with Emma in her vault had been _so vivid,_ she had to use cold water in the end of her shower to cool down. Perfect hair, eye shadow done and nude lipstick on, she slipped inside her sexy royal blue dress and threw on a black coat before heading out. She was more than ready for some office work to help clear her mind a little, to distract her from replaying the image of her heated encounter with Emma, and neither did she want to think too much about that faux dream. And when Regina got to the Town Hall that morning, the first thing she noticed as she walked to her desk was a single black rose that had been left for her.

"Emma," Regina muttered the name.

She felt an odd but familiar _flutter_ in her stomach she hadn't experienced since Daniel, but steeled her jaw, took the rose in her right hand and with her magic set it ablaze, turning it into charcoal and then pulverized it with the pressure of her hand, squeezing the rose as though she was crushing a heart.

"Not the flower type? Pity." Regina was startled by the throaty voice — Emma's. "And here I am trying to woo you," her words pour with sarcasm.

She'd been sitting on the Queen's throne with her back to her, hidden behind the tall leather chair, gazing out the window behind Regina's mayoral desk, looking at the apple tree in the garden, the one she clearly remember butchering some years ago to get back at her.

As the tall chair swiveled to face front, it revealed the presence of the regal Dark Swan, amused, quite enjoying herself in Regina's office.

"What do you want, Swan?" Regina was sharp. Using that haughty tone of hers Emma so much loathed, specially nowadays.

"Swan?" The Dark Swan scowled. "We're back to that, even after my thoughtful present last night," she steeled her jaw.

"Thoughtful present?" Regina laughed at that. "You mean the fake memories, or the funerary flowers? Either way it was quite _un-charming_ of you, _Swan._ "

"Our memories, Regina," Emma said angrily, her brow furrowing deeper.

She uncrossed her legs, made a flourish with her hand and summoned the dreamcatcher she had left under Regina's pillow, which the mayor had been carrying inside her purse to later go check its magic in her mausoleum.

"These," she said as she held the enchanted object in her hand.

Regina rolled her eyes at the magical display.

"How exactly do you expect me to believe in memories that were given to me unwillingly? For all I know they could be fake," Regina said sharply. "As are you, _Dark Swan."_

Offended, Emma got up from Regina's chair, slowly rounded the desk and came to stand before Regina with her imposing new presence and calm but fierce demeanor. And like a choreographed dance, Regina turned around as her eyes followed Emma's predatory movement around her, feeling she was bait for the big shark in the tank. Carefully she took a step back as the white-haired woman came to face her more closely, invading her personal space until she made her take the last step back, making her backside meet the end of the desk. Regina made a short intake of air in surprise. Emma leaned slightly then, bringing her hands to rest over the glass top on either side of Regina's hips - Regina trapped between them - as green eyes looked into brown with calculated coldness.

"They _are_ real. Trust me," Emma said surely.

Regina felt like her heart might burst out of her chest any moment. They were so close she could feel Emma's warm breath mingling with her own and she could almost taste it, like she'd done the night previous in her mausoleum. She wanted to give in, but it made no sense. Last night had been very confusing — the heat of the moment if you will — but she was in love with _Robin._ Whatever she felt for Emma was probably just the lust Darkness evoked in them; lust for power, and the adrenaline _danger_ released in their bodies. It couldn't be love but simple and raw desire, nothing more. But she had to stand her ground... _just a little longer._

"You're asking me to trust you, a Dark One?" Regina raised a mocking eyebrow. "You forget, Miss Swan, I have experience with your kind."

In a blink of an eye, Emma suddenly had her body pressed against hers, and she brought her lips to barely brush against Regina's ear as she whispered;

"Don't _Miss Swan_ , we've been through _too_ much."

Regina swallowed at the sensation of Emma's warm breath on her ear and the surprisingly good smell of her fragrance. She had never noticed Emma Swan wore perfume, maybe she didn't before? But now this mild-sweet, decadent aroma was penetrating not only her nostrils but also her subconscious and she found herself inhaling a little deeper, a little longer, trying to memorize it. In fact, it was oddly familiar, but she couldn't quite remember how.

"Or what?" Regina was nervous but she was unmoving, stubborn as they both are. "You'll _unleash_ your _wrath_ upon me again?" Regina swallowed again. That had come out more like a plea rather than a snarky remark. Had she been too evident in her desire?

Emma smirked. She let the dreamcatcher drop from her hand to the floor as she brought that hand now to touch Regina's knee.

"My wrath?" Emma was still speaking in her ear.

The hand slowly moved upwards Regina's thigh and she tried not to bite on her lower lip with lust, but it was too much, _too hard_ — trying to contain her desire for Emma, Regina couldn't continue fighting it, so she tugged on the lapels of Emma's black lather jacket and pulled her so their faces were just a few inches away.

Regina's eyes darted to Emma's bright red lips as she licked her own, anticipating the hungry kiss she was craving, but which she didn't dare be the one to initiate, for if she did, there would be no way she could blame this mistake on the Dark One; it would be _all_ her fault if she chose to be the one to kiss Emma Swan first. And how could she? She couldn't give up the stability she had with Robin, her _fated soulmate_. For a _Dark One?_ It made no sense. She and Robin were predestined and had to endure everything together, where as with Emma she'd always been destined to fight back. But maybe not all battles had to be fatal, must they?

"Em-ma..." Regina nearly moaned the name.

Emma removed her hand from Regina's knee and brought it up to cup her chin, leaning lightly, bringing her lips to _almost_ touch Regina's, but she stopped before granting her that kiss she was dying for.

"Oh, Regina. My Regina... Why would I do that, if that's exactly what you want?" She said to her and vanished into thin air. Again.

Regina's jaw dropped. This wasn't happening again, except it was, and she was fucking furious.

"Swaaaan!" She growed. "I really, _really_ hate it when you leave me like this," she yelled to the remaining black smoke but nothing happened.

Before, it had always been Regina puffing away from Emma and Emma hated it. This was payback.

Regina had to concentrate on paperwork to keep her mind off Emma. Not an easy task, even considering she really loved her job as Mayor, but Emma was all she could think of, all she could _yearn_ for; it was wearing her out. She was frustrated and she was quite horny, to be honest, but the last person in her mind for that was Robin. What she needed was the feeling of smooth skin, curves pressed against curves, and the sweet perfume that accompanied a female lover: that was what she was hungry for. So she called Maleficent. And later Mary Margaret. She told Emma's mother she would be working late, doing research to see if she could finally succeed at making a memory potion for them, but it was a lie, only to have Henry sleep over at his grandparents'. She hated herself for this but she couldn't just summon Maleficent in her home and risk her son finding out about their _special_ relationship. Henry did not need that much information.

It was just an _itch_ that needed to be _scratched,_ simple as that, she kept telling herself. She would still love Robin Hood the next day, this wasn't anything against him: this was about _her._ About certain physical needs she couldn't have fulfilled by him. In fact, she did wonder for the first time what her sister asked her.

"What do you even see in him?" Just like Zelena, Maleficent asked Regina.

They were lying on the couch, spooned under a fur throw as they faced the hearth in her living room, back home.

"He's bland. There's nothing interesting about your thief, Regina dear. No novelty, no thrill, no challenge - no _passion._ And I know you, my Queen; you need that fire to glow. So how come you're adamant about a man who can't ever make you reach the sky? Maybe not even a _tiny_ hill..." Blunt. Maleficent was not one to shy away from clearly expressing her opinions.

"You're harsh. I didn't say he didn't make me— " Regina was saying but Maleficent stared at her, gave her a look of _'you can fool yourself but you can't fool me,'_ and she rephrased. "There's _something_ missing," Regina tried to justify about her sexual frustration that was not just because of Emma's tantalizing.

" _Someone,"_ Maleficent corrected her. "He's not _the one,_ or you wouldn't be here in _my_ arms right now. Have you considered the ex-Savior, perhaps?" Maleficent sing-sang with amusement in her voice.

"I'm starting to question why I even bothered to call you," Regina grumbled.

"Because it's different with me," Maleficent said simply. "What we have is a… _well rounded_ friendship between you and I. And, Regina dear, like I told you when you were in Camelot: you care about Emma more than you want to admit. I noticed it the night we were reliving _old times_ together."

Regina's eyes opened wider at the last part. "We talked while I was in Camelot?"

She stirred in her embrace so she could face her former mentor. She remembered that peculiar event from the dream — from the memories Emma gave her in her sleep.

"Yes. Don't you remember?" Maleficent's brow furrowed.

She wasn't well updated on what the heroes were up to these days, as she was mostly secluded in her own little bubble of peace with Lily in a cabin in the forest, the one that used to belong to Rumple. Lily used to go out and about more, but Maleficent preferred to avoid humans whenever possible. That was unless of course if the human seeking her company was Regina; she always had time for her old friend.

"Emma took our memories before bringing us back here, but she let me see some of hers in a dream, which I was certain were _fake_ … now not so much."

"Interesting, isn't it? That your Dark One didn't wipe off my memories even though she knew we kept in touch."

Maleficent looked into Regina's eyes like she knew the reason behind it, but Regina was still unsure. It made no sense, or did it?

"She knew I would come to you," realization dawned on Regina.

Maleficent smiled as she tucked a raven curl behind Regina's ear. "Are you sure you still want to do this?" She was referring to their intimacy.

Regina's tears pooled in her eyes as she had Maleficent's soft gaze on her. It was that same warm and kind look she used to have available for her whenever Regina needed to wash off the sensation of Leopold's hands on her body during their first times together, and realized she had sought Maleficent not because she wanted her to finish what Emma started, but because she wanted to be free of _Robin;_ replace him with a softer lover, someone who wanted to _share,_ not just _take._

She was afraid of facing him - her true feelings - like she'd been afraid with the King, though Robin had not forced her into anything: Tinkerbell with her Pixie Dust did, just like Cora with her dark magic forced Leopold upon her. In neither relationship was Regina ever put _first._ The difference with Robin was this time it was _Regina_ who was hurting herself, because she thought there was no one else out there that could ever love her flawed self, and admitting her feelings for Emma was terrifying. How could she feel more strongly for her nemesis, the Savior meant to destroy her, than for her own _soulmate_? It was outrageous.

"Mal," Regina let out a strangled sob as she nestled her face on Maleficent's chest.

"It's alright, Regina, cry as you need. It's okay to just be my _little one_ again."

Maleficent stroked Regina's hair with the loving care she did in the beginning of their relationship, when they were just mentor and apprentice, protector and protégée, little before they let it evolve into an affair that allowed both of them an escape from the harsh reality that was their loneliness.

Maleficent had been so many things to her: a teacher, a friend, a mother, a lover — a haven — and even also an enemy when she let darkness and hunger for revenge get the best of her. Now it felt soothing to have her back like this again, back to being her best friend, back to caring for her like Cora never did, and back to being able to share her deepest secrets with her in a way she knew she would never be able to do with her sister. Unlike the others, Maleficent would always support her in her pursuit of True Love, without expecting anything from her in return. The Dragon was far less complicated than her human friends.

Hours passed and Regina could finally weep the last tear as she accepted fate had played her another joke, this time in the form of a "soulmate." King or outlaw, she had been robbed of her free will again and she had let it happen without questioning it. How could she not see the parallel? Just because a fairy had used it, it didn't make Pixie Dust _light_ magic or any better.

 _What if she had found True Love already but had been too blind to see it, or too scared to obtain it because then she might lose it again?_

She'd been transfixed by the idea of a predestined soulmate she'd forgotten that real love was supposed to move you, shake you, take you out of your comfort zone and make you assume risks. And loving Emma Swan was surely the biggest risk she'd be taking, but now she was ready, she was sure of her feelings and it made no difference Emma had become a Dark One. They could overcome this together, like they always defeated their demons. But even if they didn't, it made no difference. She was just as much in love with the Dark Swan as she was with the Savior. To Regina she would always be Emma. _Her Emma._

* * *

"Are you sure you will be well?" Maleficent asked as she stood in Regina's porch before leaving.

"Yes. I'm sorry for having burdened you, Maleficent," Regina nodded, still sniffing a little.

"Now don't be a stranger, dear. As long as you don't _curse_ me again, we can still have this," Maleficent teased her, trying to lighten the mood, referring to their more sisterly bond.

Regina's lip quivered from the emotion. It was really powerful to know she could have a friend- a _real_ best friend -like this.

After a deep breath, she stepped closer and softly kissed Maleficent's lips as stubborn tears streamed down her face. There was nothing sexual in their kiss, it was affectionate. A way to say "thank you" without having to speak because then it would make both of them cry again and Regina was very tired. Everything had been so intense since Emma had the audacity to sacrifice _her soul_ for her _— that idiot._

Unfortunately, that wasn't what Emma was seeing.

She couldn't sleep—being a Dark One prevented you from it—and she'd found her steps bringing her to 108 on Mifflin Street, they would always bring her here. If not for Henry, hoping Regina might look out the window one night, wishing to see her, and call her name in the dark, summon her to her presence. And she _would_ come, despite Darkness not wanting her to, because seeking Regina was looking for her own destruction and that was her internal battle. She was battling the forces that wanted her to become completely dark, but also the light that wanted her to shine, to be saved, if only by the woman she longed to kiss. The woman she wanted to share True Love with.

 _"Are you sure you're ready to let your heart be truly free?"_ Merlin's voice echoed in her head.

Emma brought a hand to her chest, hurting as she saw Regina kiss Maleficent after hearing the Dragon tell her "We can still have this."

This wasn't going according to her plan. Where did she fail? Regina's heart had to be free, too, able to choose. But it had chosen someone else. There couldn't be True Love for her. Regina would _never_ choose her, the Voice was right.

After Maleficent left, Regina distinguished the familiar silhouette in the distance, but it vanished in a cloud of black smoke.

"Emma!" Regina ran to the front but Emma was gone.

"Emma Swan. Emma Swan. Emma Swan," Regina tried to summon her like Henry had.

Nothing.

Regina got in her car and drove to Emma's house, but she wasn't there. "Where can I find you?"

Where could Emma go? What would she do? All Emma Swan ever did was... _run away_."No," Regina gasped.

Regina puffed herself to the limit of Storybrooke and there she saw Emma's car, parked in the _other_ side, and there was a second apple tree beside it - probably from whatever pawn she forced into driving her bug outside the town.

And then there was Emma, walking firmly toward the town line.

"Emma!"

Regina yelled behind her but Emma ignored her, so she had to poof herself to appear right before Emma, less than four steps or so from the edge. Not a very safe place where to be standing with a Dark One, but this was _Emma._ She wanted to trust in the woman wrapped under the darkness, the one she loved.

"Stop!"

"What do you want, Regina?" Emma was cold.

"Isn't it obvious?" Regina responded.

"Humor me." Emma passed her, bumping their shoulders as she continued her path.

"I want you!" Regina's voice was quavering.

Emma chuckled at that, sarcastically. "Please."

"Emma, what you saw with Maleficent is not what you think."

Emma stopped dead on her track, turned around to face her, eyes alight and full of anger.

"It's not Maleficent, or Robin, or Hook: it's YOU!" Emma confronted her.

" _You_ came into _my_ chambers, _took_ me and left in the middle of the night. When I woke up you were gone. I asked what happened, you said a _mistake._ And, you know what, I am done! This _hold_ you have on me, I want it gone. The dagger is a harmless  toy in comparison to how much damage you can cause!" Emma cried out. "You've made me broken beyond repair."

"I wish I could remember that. I'm sorry. But, Emma, it's different now. I know now it's _you._ It's _always_ been you. I was afraid!"

"The problem Regina is I don't believe you. You _used me_ and I— I _hate_ you!"

"You don't mean that," Regina's tears started falling. Her heart was breaking and only Emma could pick up the pieces, but she didn't seem like she cared anymore.

"The truth hurts, Regina, get used to it."

"You want to talk about truth? Here's some for you: you're punishing me for something I have no memory of; you _seduce_ me, only to leave me longing and come back to crush my hope — that enough humor for you? Is that what you wanted, to destroy me? Well, congratulations, _Miss Swan,_ you've done it!"

 _Miss Swan-_ it was the last thing Emma wanted Regina to call her right now.

"Not done yet," Emma told her. She turned her back to her and walked closer to the town's limit, coming just a step from crossing the red line on the asphalt.

"So now you're leaving. How typical of you," Regina reproached.

"Who said _I_ was leaving?" Emma smirked at her from over the shoulder.

It was too quick, everything was spinning and suddenly Emma was holding her firmly by the shoulders. When Regina looked behind her, she noticed she was only inches from being pushed to the other side of the town line, just moments away from getting turned into an apple tree- the irony could be humorous if it weren't her life the one being on the edge quite literally.

"Emma?" Regina was in shock.

Was she really going to do it? Had she lured her here with that purpose? Had Emma meant _anything_ about them or had all of this been part of her evil scheme to get rid of her in the most painful of ways? The idea of Emma never loving her was the most painful feeling she'd felt to this day, only comparable to losing her son.

 ** _"Go ahead, dearie, push her!"_ ** Rumplestiltkin's ghost gestured her.

"I can't be free as long as you're here!" Emma yelled with despair. But did she mean Regina or did she mean the voice of darkness?

Regina could feel Emma's fingers dig into her flesh like claws, preventing her from using any strength or magic to escape, and so she accepted her fate. There was nothing she could do to defeat the power of the Dark One. No one ever could, not even Belle with all her love for Rumplestiltskin. You couldn't save someone who didn't want saving.

"You may not believe in me, but I still believe in you. All I want is for you to be free. So… Do it, Emma. Destroy me," Regina looked into her eyes with nothing but love, and didn't try to fight her; relaxed her body and welcomed her punishment.

"I love you," Regina said it in a whisper.

"Aaahh!" Emma growled in frustration.

A black smoke engulfed them and when it disappeared Regina saw they were inside a room she had never seen before. Emma's.

"I hate you so much it suffocates me!" Emma yelled at her and violently pulled on Regina's coat until she removed it.

Regina just stood there, flabbergasted, letting Emma release her anger in any form she found suited, and looked at her with empathy.

"I hate your _beautiful_ brown eyes and how they make me drown in their darkness!" She was now frantically pulling down the zipper of Regina's dress, nearly ripping apart.

"Emma…" was all Regina could utter. Her voice soft and mellow, though her breathing was becoming more labored and her heat was rising. She was as much scared as she was aroused by Emma ridding her off her clothes with such despair. Wickedly as it was, she'd never felt more wanted, more _needed,_ than she felt this moment.

"Quiet!" Emma brought her hands to cover her ears. "I hate the sound of my name in your lips and how it makes me want it to be your voice the one I wake up to every morning. The only one ever able to _command_ me." Emma's chest was heaving as she tried to catch her breath, tears pooling in her eyes.

Regina didn't say a word, though her mouth hang open in awe at all what she was hearing. It was the most fuckedup love confession, but it was also the most earnest and the most _romantic_ she could have ever expected in a world this twisted.

"And what I hate most about you," Emma was more calm now, tired- _defeated_ , "is the fact I can't bring myself to hate you at all."

Emma started crying.

"You hurt me," Emma made a long pause, "and yet I still love you."

Her voice broke and she threw herself in Regina's arms then, burying her face in the curve where shoulder meets neck, crying without reserve as she held her tightly.

"I was afraid, Emma." Regina's arms wrapped her securely. "Of losing you. It was safer to have you as a friend than not have you at all, so I didn't take the risk. I didn't take that leap of faith, and settled for much less. I'm sorry. I never wanted to hurt you... All I ever wanted was to be close to you." Regina cried with her.

Emma inhaled deeply and calmed down after some minutes of mutual grieving. She slowly retrieved her face from Regina's neck and looked into brown eyes with sadness.

"I can't fight this darkness alone," Emma's voice was raspy. "I need you."

"I need you too," Regina cupped Emma's face in her hands and brought her closer. "More than anything."

Their mouths parted slightly and slowly their lips brushed against each other, kissing tentatively at first until they could let go off their fears and give fully into that kiss of freedom- the kiss of True Love. There was nothing holding them back anymore to express their honest feelings. With or without her memories for Regina it was clear whom her heart belonged to- whom it had always.

After a wave of light traveled the land, Emma's hair started to recover its sunny color, and soon warmth made it back to her body. When they pulled gently away to gaze into each other's eyes Regina noticed the physical change, but Emma couldn't care any less. All she wanted was to be with Regina, and so she claimed her lips again.

"Emma," Regina tried to speak in between kisses, "You-"

"Hush," Emma responded, letting her fingertips caress the smoothness of Regina's exposed skin on her back, continuing kissing her deeply. "Just kiss me."

Regina felt her body burn with desire and now it was her who was desperately pulling at Emma's leather jacket, trying to rid her of it the sooner the better. And she did. The leather jacket dropped to the floor, followed by her own blue dress, then Regina felt her feet be swept from the floor, literally, and her back landed on the cushion of Emma's huge bed with Emma falling on top of her. Regina oomphed and then chuckled, Emma chuckled, too, as their mouths came together once more in a sloppy kiss. Emma's right hand began to wander Regina's torso, coming slowly up to cup her breast, sneaking under her lacey black bra so she could tweak her nipple in between thumb and index fingers, eliciting a delicious moan from the woman underneath her.

Regina ran her fingers through silky blonde hair, undoing Emma's tight bun to release golden curls she missed deeply.

" _My_ Emma," Regina said in her most sultry voice and it reverberated in Emma's core, making her much more wet and her appetite grow bigger.

Emma kissed down Regina's jaw, trailing her tongue down her throat and moving in direction of her breast. She circled the light tan areola before sucking her nipple into her mouth to quench her thirst, meanwhile her left hand worked the other breast.

Regina's groan vibrated in her throat and chest. "Fuck me," she begged Emma and Emma _had_ to obey her command. "As you wish,  my Queen."

Emma sat on the heels of her feet, brought her hands to the sides of Regina's hips and curled her fingers on the waistband of her thong, slowly dragging it down toned legs until she pulled it out. She stood still for some seconds, admiring Regina's nude beauty, wanting to engrave this memory in her brain so no curse could ever erase it, until the brunette felt a little too exposed.

"What?" Regina asked coyly, bringing her knees together.

"You're the fairest of them all," Emma responded with an enamoured smile, "that's all."

"Idiot," Regina smiled brightly and beckoned with her finger for Emma to come. "Join me."

Emma removed her own bra, Regina's eyes drank in the image, watching carefully as the blonde now clumsily tried shimming out of her tight pants until she just said "fuck it, I got magic" and got rid of them and her panties altogether.

"Much better," Regina chuckled.

Her eyes locked in Emma's as she crawled on bed to come lie in between her legs. They kissed again, this time more slowly, and just as slowly Emma peppered kisses all over her body; kissed her stomach, then moved to her hipbone, and continued moving lower down, taking her time before she got to the most _juicy_ part. She reached to Regina's inner thigh and kissed from the knee up to the apex, leaving goosebumps in the wake of her kisses as she reached to where Regina was aching for her the most.

Regina's chest was heaving, her arousal obvious, and a hiss followed when Emma's lips brushed ever so lightly over lower ones. She bit her lip in anticipation when long tresses of golden hair brushed against her sex as Emma's head came to position, eyes closing on their own when she felt the first swipe of a warm tongue in between velvety folds.

"Emma…" Regina moaned the name and Emma adored it. She turned to look up at Regina's flushed face and smiled at her.

"I love you," Emma assured her before continuing.

She parted delicate, pink lips with her fingers before letting her tongue tease the little but powerful bundle of nerves aching for her touch, licking feather touches at first, and as Regina's moans encouraged her she covered it fully with her mouth to suckle at the precious pearl gingerly, making Regina arch her back and bring her hands to hold on the blonde head, body tensing and muscles contracting as Emma got her closer to climax.

Regina was so wet, two slender fingers glided into her effortlessly and Emma began pumping slowly as Regina groaned an eager "Yes!" with her body writhing. Emma had her panting on bed, legs clamping the blonde inside their strong grip, but Emma didn't shy away and continued stimulating her until her toes curled down and Regina screamed in pleasure, filling the room with the echo of her orgasm and the scent of their lovemaking.

After she could recover from her climax, Regina beckoned Emma to come into her arms. They kissed with more passion than they'd ever shared with any lover before them and she could savor herself in Emma's lips and it was delightful. Being _together_ was delightful, and the only thing that made sense. They were in love and it was the most powerful magic of all.

Emma started to feel her eyelids get heavier. She hadn't slept since absorbing the darkness and all her tiredness was coming back at once. Regina would have preferred to reciprocate and make love to her, but instead she had Emma turn to the opposite side, brought the front of her naked body to rest flush against Emma's back and spooned under the cozy blankets.

Regina placed a soft kiss to Emma's nape and lovingly massaged her scalp to sleep.

"Promise you will still be here in the morning?" Emma asked her with so much innocence and sadness, Regina couldn't help letting some tears fall again. She now remembered everything that had happened.

"This and for the rest of our days, Emma. I promise."

Emma smiled. She caught Regina's hand and brought it to her lips to kiss it, then closed her eyes to sleep. She knew she could trust her. Always.


	4. Broken Reflections

NOTE: This chapter has been rewritten. I made major changes while still keeping part of the premise the former version embodied. There will be no CS nor OQ intimacy, though the hints of it. Angst. Magical mishap. Impersonation.

* * *

 **Broken Reflections**

* * *

Regina remembered. Remembered what she'd done back in Camelot, how she'd betrayed Emma's trust and broken her beyond repair. Darkness be damned; Regina was worse than any curse in Emma's system. Though Emma wasn't completely the innocent princess her appearance might have you think at first sight- not after the curse.

(In Camelot)

"I'm not under any spell of hers, Killian! Nothing happened between Regina and I."

They were still fighting over this.

"So you're telling me I'm blind?! I know what I saw: that bitch's lips leaving yours! If it wasn't her spell then it's on you and that's even worse."

"We didn't kiss, how many times must I tell you! _Please,_ Killian. Don't you believe in me?"

"I… I don't know, Swan. You're not the Savior anymore; the woman I fell in love with, she's gone," he said more calmly now, though the hostility was ever present in his tone.

"Killian, please…"

"SHE chose to sacrifice for that _cunning whore_ and now my True Love's gone! You're nothing but Emma's cast; just a pretty, blonde distraction and nothing more, _Dark One._ " Bitter tears trickled down his face.

Emma's tears fell, too, but he was _right._ She had chosen Regina over his love and she deserved his wrath. In fact, how could she even be sure she was still herself, if all she did was hear these voices in her head telling her to do wrong, and reassuring her she was vile and vile could not be loved— maybe Regina was another bad choice, one made by darkness to keep her from breaking the curse. She was lucky to still have Killian in her life somehow. He was hurt, and jealous— that must meant he _still_ felt something for her, even if she wasn't Emma anymore. Holding onto at least this possibility of love was better than none at all; better than having Regina's rejection crushing her heart like coal to dust.

She had to make this work, once more, force this relationship: her only hope at a _happy ending—_ and maybe even True Love, like what her parents had together. All during their argument, Emma didn't see the presence of the Dark One, nor did she hear the echo of his voice: _it must meant something?_ Maybe Killian was the answer to breaking her curse.

"The woman you once loved, is still inside," Emma took his hand to her chest, "I promise."

Hook looked into her eyes, warily, but considering.

"I need fresh air." He took a step back, and moved to the balcony in the tower, stargazing for a long moment, trying to arrange his thoughts.

* * *

In her own bedchambers with Robin, Regina could barely stand his presence; his proximity felt nauseous. He was caressing her arm gently, trying to get the mood going, _soothe_ her— he would say —kissing her shoulder as she was turned to the side, her back to him, trying to sleep.

She'd had insomnia and migraine since that almost kiss, three nights ago, and it was enough time for Robin to consider it _appropriate_ to attempt having intimacy with her. It was torturous to be sharing her bed without actually sleeping together, specially when Henry and Roland had their own room, relatively away from theirs, to allow adults some privacy, and as punishment for Zelena, who was made into their nanny under Belle's custody— though if you asked Belle she'd say she was the one babysitting all three of them.

Regina could only think about Emma. Maybe if she shut her eyes hard enough, she could fool herself into believing it was Emma in her bed with her, making love together. _She_ was what Regina really needed to soothe her ache, so she tried. She rolled to lie on her back. Robin wasted no time to come atop, easing his hands down Regina's legs.

They say when you wish something hard enough, it may come true. Young Regina would digress; she never had her wishes granted. But young Regina didn't have magic at her fingertips back then.

 _How I wish I were that lucky bastard. Walk in his privileged boots, free of guilt, and with Emma all for myself. If I were Killian, oh Emma, I would make love to you like time and space do not exist, just you and me, under the moonlight, wrapped in one another; inside each other: as one soul, floating— drifting away into our own, little world, free of pain and judgment. Just the two of us with no labels. If I were him, my dearest, I could love you truly._

Regina's eyes began glowing under her lids, as did Hook's while he was stargazing in the balcony. There was a quick flicker of light inside them and Regina found herself no longer squinting her eyes under Robin's heavy body; she was gazing at the stars. She looked down at her hands and saw the hook prosthetic in one, a collection of rings in the other, and hair in her now flat chest. She turned back, to look behind her new body, and saw Emma bracing herself, cautiously looking in her direction, with hopeful eyes but unspoken words— just so damn innocent and beautiful, not a trace of darkness in her.

"Emma…"

The voice came out lower, though not unfamiliar to them: it was _Killian's,_ but it was tender, loving, and Emma's ears perked at that. No more hostility: there was sweetness and a longing in him, laced in a honey so sweet Emma desperately needed tasting it for the first time with him.

He wasn't _the one_ , but she needed this— to feel loved again. She felt so lonely even though she had a big family now, but it wasn't _complete._ So, whatever Killian had to offer; she would take it. Whatever he demanded, she would give to him. At last. She had no more inhibitions; not under this curse. She suddenly wasn't as self-conscious, as hesitant, to have intimacy with him. She'd been asking him for time, time and again. But tonight was the night and there would be no coming back: she would be _his._

"Killian?"

Emma asked with a higher voice, sounding so fragile it nearly broke Regina's heart all over again, but she stood her ground. She turned on her heel and looked down upon Emma with soft eyes, full of love, but also desire.

 _But, wait._

If Regina was here— inside Hook's body —that could only mean one thing: Killian was in _her_ body, about to be penetrated by Robin. The idea would humor her, weren't it for the fact Robin had already been victim of deceit by her own sister, and he did not deserve it. Hook; he was another story. He had his own history of getting women drunk so he could fuck them without paying for the service or having to wait for their consent. Better do the right thing.

Behind her back, she quickly but discreetly clasped her fingers together and with her magic made both men in her bedchambers, fall asleep before all hell broke loose. And it was just in time. It had taken Hook a little longer to come back from the haze and realize his— or her —problematic position. He only felt the weight of a heavy body, and in the blurriness of his sight he barely distinguished a person: a man, but before he could focus he was already out. Some fucking weird dream, probably with Smee again; it was not the first time he dreamed with his comrade. He was fast asleep, as was Robin.

This would be the only chance Regina ever had to really get close to her beloved. It hurt to think Emma with Hook and never with her, and the jealousy and possessiveness took over her, made her weak. Regina would hate herself for this, but having this night with Emma, even if just to watch over her as she sleep, protecting her, she would trade for nothing.

"Yes, _love,_ " Regina answered sweetly.

There was something different in Killian, but Emma liked it. He had softened; he probably could see there was still Emma's light deep inside her, and he would give her a chance to prove her love to him.

Emma touched his cheek gently; he closed his eyes and relished in the feeling. He took her hand in his and brought it to his lips to kiss it so sweetly.

"I love you, Emma. I'll always do."

Emma got on her tiptoes, waiting for him to respond to the invitation to share a kiss, and he did, nervously. He tentatively pressed his lips to hers and they shared a kiss like they'd never had before, one that was broken too soon. Emma tried locking gazes with him; he averted his eyes. It was so different from Killian, Emma was suspicious, and there was something else, something more: she could feel Regina's presence. She had to test out her theory, and have some fun while at it.

"I think I'm ready. I'll be yours if you want to take me," his girlfriend told him openly.

Regina felt the blood boil inside her, but this was all so wrong.

For someone so pushy, at times insistent to a scary point, Killian was hesitant, Emma noticed, and didn't know if it was because he wasn't fully trusting of her or if there was something else going on. It couldn't be him, but what was Regina up to? Emma felt mischievous, and an idea crossed her mind, something she wouldn't have thought of without this new darkness inside her body, this pent-up desire she'd been holding prisoner since the moment they first met and shared cider in Regina's library by the fire.

She pressed her body against his and let her hand slowly slide down his front, stopping at his crotch, teasing him. Regina felt she might combust, the sensations in her body were too much, it was so tempting to give up and pin Emma against a wall and take her right there, but it was not her; it was him, who would be taking this big step with Emma.

"I want you so much, Emma, you have _no_ idea," Regina said to her.

"Actually," Emma smiled sensually as she grabbed his bulge. "I _may_ have..."

Killian— _Regina_ had an erection and that was not something easy to hide in a male body. She was very embarrassed. She took a step back, and tried to think of a proper way to reject Emma's advances without hurting her or making the darkness in her, rage. Some hot mess she had accidentally gotten herself in.

Before Regina could come up with it, Emma had her cornered, and pinned _her_ to the wall. "Does it bother you if I make the first move? Or are you old fashioned and don't think a woman can be passionate, take the lead?"

 _Fuuuuck._ This _shouldn't_ be arousing, but seeing Emma like this, having her be so dominant, so hungry for intimacy, did little to ease the rolling boil she felt in her stomach, and the itch between her legs was suddenly too painful.

Regina grabbed Emma by the waist and turned them around, pinning her against the wall this time. She assaulted her neck with hungry kisses, and let her right hand caress the softness of her body. Emma curled a leg around her hip, bringing her to grind harder against her. Regina gulped. She stopped kissing her that moment, and looked into Emma's eyes, scared of herself. She couldn't do this to her, not like this.

"You're such a coward." Emma laughed at her.

Regina grimaced. She felt this mockery was very much directed at _her,_ not Killian.

"You come here to be close to me, and when I offer you a banquet, you still choose not to feast," Emma told her, her voice lower, darker.

"Emma, I- I don't think it's appropriate. Maybe when you're back to yourself…"

It was as if they had thrown gasoline to the fire. Emma was furious.

"I know perfectly well who _I_ am, what I do with _my_ body, and _who_ I throw myself at," Emma said to her, accusingly. "I can't say the same for you, _Regina._ "

Regina's eyes widened impossibly. "You knew?"

"You keep forgetting, with you, I always know. No one can make me feel what I feel when we're close; it's different, and it's special, but you can't seem to catch grasp of that. Why can't you give us a chance? Why is some stupid pixie dust stronger than what you and I feel?!"

"Because you're right! I'm a coward! Love was always ripped away from me before I could even come close to touching it. You feel too real, and we've come so far, I don't want to lose what we already have."

"It's too late for that," Emma told her more calmly now. "I can never be just friends with you. I want more. I _need_ more."

"So you tested me? This is wrong in so many levels, Emma. Me, you- we can't do things like this. This is so unlike you."

" _Please…_ Morals don't suit the Evil Queen, or the Dark One; we're _both_ past that." Emma angrily refuted.

Regina was hurt. "I need time. Just… give me a little more time. This is a mistake."

Regina vanished in a swirl of purple smoke. Few seconds after that, Hook appeared on a rocking chair, sleeping out in the balcony, leather clad and with a blanket thrown over him. It was the real pirate this time.

Emma looked at him, her gaze cold as ice.

 ** _"I keep telling you, dearie, if you truly want something: you have to take it by the force,"_** the Dark One voice told Emma.


	5. Dark Swan Rises

NOTE: I decided to leave Lancelot out (dead) and instead Merlin and Guinevere as TL. Canon divergence because what's the point of fanfic without fixing shit? :P

* * *

 **Dark Swan Rises**

* * *

After her bittersweet and anticlimatic encounter with Regina, Emma decided to take matters in her own hands. She went alone to Merlin's tree, and released him for his prison, knocking King Arthur's knights out with a flick of her wrist before they could even protest. She then used her savior magic- what remained of it, and tendrils of darkness did come out from her hands, too, but in the end it was still Emma the key to freeing the wizard, along with the fresh tears of a broken heart: her own.

The wizard promptly took her on a journey to retrieve the Flame of Prometheus so they could make Excalibur and the Dagger whole again, before darkness would eat at her and swallow her completely, and to be ready before King Arthur learned the wizard was free. He had the dagger in his custody, so that was their next big challenge. They had to be ready for a fight.

At daytime, the King was bewildered to see knight after knight, scattered all over the holy ground that surround the sacred tree, where now only remained the empty hole in the dirt from where the tree once stood. He raged, growling like the lion in his crest, and slowly his men began waking up.

At least he still had the dagger. He pulled it from out of a satchel he carried with him, even to bed, and commanded the Dark One to appear before him.

"It's time," Emma winced as she felt the call of the dagger, fighting its pull.

"Look inside your heart, Emma. When it's truly ready to be free, the flame will ignite to help you mend what was once broken," Merlin told her.

"I'm done fixing everybody's _crap_ and their _fucking_ _stupid_ happy endings, only to never get mine! All I want is my autonomy back. With this power I can finally claim something as mine," Emma protested.

"It will be your choice then: giving into darkness, this time out of selfishness. It might feel great to wield all that power, but it won't give you real happiness, nor the freedom you seek; it will enslave your soul for eternity. Only True Love can set you really free."

 ** _"True Love?"_** Rumplestiltskin's ghost- the voice -chuckled at that. **_"That's a commodity only for the…"_** he gave Emma a sizing look, **_"not gay? Oops! I mean: weak."_**

"Don't listen to him, Emma," Merlin looked sympathetically at her.

"I'm not weak! It's not my heart the one that needs freeing."

And in a swirl of black smoke, Emma was gone.

* * *

Arthur was no longer alone, Emma's family was with him in the heavily guarded patio. Emma looked around, calculating their escape, and saw Regina clutched to Robin, with Henry and Roland with them protectively— like a perfect little family, and it make her sick beyond words. He was stealing _her_ family from her and she regretted more than anything having saved him against her desire, all because Regina asked her— no: _forced_ her. She should have let him die; drown in his own blood.

Then there was Snow and Charming with their cute little prince in their arms; another picture of the what they never gave her a chance to have: two parents to protect her from harm, shelter her from the cold, soothe her when she was felt blue; make her not feel all alone in the world.

And then there was Killian, who didn't have care in his eyes for her anymore, not after she took in the darkness for Regina. She could read from his expression that he had not forgiven her; that he wasn't going to. He would never spare her for ruining his happy ending. All he wanted, what he loved, was the ideal image of the perfect girl she used to be, all light and purity: _The Savior_ — his greatest conquest. Now she was soiled.

"Dark One, I order you to explain what this means," he pointed at the missing tree. "Only an evil creature like yourself would destroy the greatest wizard to ever live; our only hope to bring peace and balance to these cursed lands."

"I freed Merlin, yes. But he sings a different song than the tale you tell yourself and the realm in your lullaby," Emma responded.

Everyone turned to look at the King, curiously.

"Of course you would try to turn everyone against me, but we know your kind, demon. You're a beast with no conscience," he spat.

"That's enough of that! I will not allow anyone, not even the King of this land, speak that way to my daughter." Snow got enough of it, and attempted to snatch the dagger from his hand, but he reacted by grabbing hold of her and putting the sharp blade to her throat.

Everyone became defensive at that. David's hand went instinctively to the hilt of his sword, but before he could unsheathe it, the royal ward was pointing swords and arrows at him and all their family.

"That's not a very smart move," King Arthur warned them.

"Answer me: Where is Merlin?"

Emma waved her hand and made the wizard appear beside her.

"There you are, my old friend!" Arthur greeted him.

Merlin spared him a disdainful look. He backed Emma's words that Arthur was lying to all of them, that he'd had no intention to release him from his prison because he had the realm under a spell to manipulate them, that the real darkness disrupting peace in their Kingdom was the King himself.

Truth or lie, he was still the King, and he commanded his guards to throw everyone but Zelena into the dungeons to rot. He took the magical cuff off her wrist and placed it on Regina's instead before sending them off.

"I've a feeling I can trust you not to betray me," he said to the wicked witch, knowing exactly who she was and her condition there as prisoner of the rulers of Misthaven.

"I won't disappoint," Zelena answered him, smirking with contempt at the Charmings, and glancing down at Arthur's lips, "My King." She would play her cards wisely.

King Arthur asked Zelena for a demonstration of her loyalty, he held out Excalibur, and also retrieved a potion from a satchel, handing the flask to the witch.

"It's a tethering potion. But as you may have heard—"

"It has to be enacted by a magic-born, I know," Zelena completed for him.

King Arthur grinned.

"So who do you want me to enslave for you, _Master?_ " Zelena sensually asked the King.

"I could make good use of a wizard for my cause."

Zelena pulled out the cork from the bottle and emptied the potion all along the blade of the sword. She used her powerful innate magic and activated the spell, successfully tethering Merlin to it. He would now be no more than the King's pet to play with.

Arthur took Emma and Merlin with him, back to the Castle, and his second order for Zelena was to keep watch with his guards in the dungeon should anyone try something funny, giving her permission to maim or cease them from existence, whatever was her kink that moment. Her reward as a loyal subject would grant her riches and a privileged position in his realm as the King's advisor. He had no magic of his own, but he was well versed in the topic, and no one was as good as the Wicked Witch of the West when it came to sorcery. Only the Dark One, who he also had under his belt now, literally, and whom he'd use as pawn for the dirty work. King Arthur was destined to rule and bring together the biggest Kingdom; he might as well make one out of all there were available to conquer. He now had all the chess pieces to make it possible.

Over the round table, they saw Excalibur, and watched as King Arthur brought out the dagger and tried to merge the two weapons, but nothing happened. He demanded Merlin tell him why it wasn't working and the wizard told him about the Prometheus flame. The King ordered Emma to ignite it, but Emma couldn't. Not when there was nothing out there for her to fight for, to be free for. Only a free heart could start the flame, and Emma had more secrets then the ones she could let come up to the surface or acknowledge this moment.

 _What was there for her to confess, to come clean with?_ It wasn't her love for Regina; that was no longer her deepest secret.

In the dungeon, as Zelena walked the hallway, enjoying how the turntables, Roland asked her for water. Certainly she wouldn't deny a child some water, Regina chided, and Zelena rolled her eyes, but looked at Roland and her eyes softened for a brief moment, remembering the time she spent with him as his faux mother. Maybe she had warmed up to the merry munchkin, maybe it was the hormones of her pregnancy, but against her better judgment she did summon a canteen with water for the child, and when she leaned down to give it to him, Henry grabbed at her arm and Roland threw dirt to her eyes to temporarily blind her. Through the bars, Robin took the sorcerer's wand from her before the guards came in to beat him, and handed it over to Henry, who with a flourish of the enchanted twig made all the soldiers freeze on their spot, Zelena included.

"It worked!" Henry was excited he was able to use magic. It was probably since he became the Author that he now could manipulate magical objects. Next, the young man proceeded to unlock the door to escape, then moved to the separate cell where Regina was alone so they wouldn't help her remove her cuff, and freed her, too.

"Let's go save your other mother," she told him proudly. He smiled in return.

Henry, Belle, Granny, Snow, Robin, Roland, and the dwarfs went to where Granny's diner had landed. Hook, David, and Regina went to the castle to save Emma, as it would be too dangerous to bring Henry with them, and his mother asked him to protect the wand, and to use it to get back home if they didn't come back before the sunset or if the King found them first.

* * *

They broke into the castle and Hook took Queen Guinevere hostage as leverage. King Arthur would soon be faced with a hard choice. As much as he wanted the ultimate power, it would be nothing if he had no one to share it with, and the only obsession that could compete with his for Excalibur, was the woman whose life now depend on him. Which obsession could be bigger?

"All we want is my daughter," David said to the King. "You can keep Excalibur."

"It's useless without the Dark One's dagger," King Arthur responded through tight teeth. "What makes you think I would hand it over?"

"What about one True Love for another?" Regina said this time.

Emma blinked at that, locking gazes with Regina. _Did she really mean it now?_ Regina's eyes were warm on her, but they looked downcast, and then in direction of the door behind.

Killian emerged behind them, together with Guinevere. He had his hook to the Queen's throat; the tip sharp enough to rip through tender flesh and bleed her out with little to no effort. Arthur had to count his chances. He gripped Excalibur and looked at Merlin, thinking of a command.

"One move and she dies," Hook tightened his grip on the Queen, enough to make her bruise and bleed, for added drama.

King Arthur gritted his teeth. He threw the dagger in the air and commanded Merlin to puff him and Guinevere away while the heroes moved to catch the other weapon.

David caught it in his hand and secured it in his belt. He came to his daughter's side and embraced her, caressing her scalp gently. "We're going home now," her father said lovingly. "Let's go to Granny's."

Emma engulfed them in grey smoke, and when it boiled off into the air, they were at the diner with everyone else, but also with more company.

Zelena was there. She'd recovered and come here, decidedly to stop them. She'd taken the sorcerer's wand from Henry and had them all roped-up in the chairs while they waited for the rest of the heroes.

"Aren't we one big, happy family?" The witch laughed sarcastically.

"Zelena…" Regina almost growled the name.

"Did you really think you could get rid of me so easily, little sister?"

"I sure had to try."

"You don't have to do this," Belle told her. "Just let us go. Start over."

"Start over, where? This is our only chance at a fresh start if you didn't notice!" Zelena's hand went to her stomach.

"It doesn't have to be," Snow spoke to her. "If you help us, we can all go back together… _home._ We can give you another chance if you do the right thing. You have something— _someone_ worth fighting for now."

Regina rolled her eyes. Typical from Snow White to be giving hope speeches even to the Wicked Witch.

Zelena's eyes pooled with tears. For a moment it looked she was considering it, touched even, but then she burst into laughter. "You're so pathetic!" She snorted.

Angrily, Emma made her move, tried to throw a blast of magic at Zelena, but to everyone's surprise, Robin jumped to protect her—more for his child than for the woman that carried it, and fell unconscious. He had easily untied himself, being the thief he was. Zelena used the opportunity to appear beside Snow, holding the wand to her throat. She menaced them with teleporting Snow White's pretty head back to Storybrooke, sans the extra body weight.

Regina ran to Robin's side, but he wasn't responding. It had been a strong blast of magic, not meant for an ordinary man to take such a blow, and he could die or remain a vegetative body for the rest of his life if they didn't help him in time. Regina still had the cuff and couldn't heal him, Emma felt pleasure in that unfortunate accident, and promptly took the fight outside before Regina could ask her to heal him, transporting herself and Zelena with dark magic.

"Aren't you going to save my dear husband?" Zelena taunted.

Emma gave her a lopsided smile. Evil.

"Oh, I see." Zelena smiled, too. "Not feeling very Saviory these days, are you? Can't say I blame you. He stands in the way of your _happy ending_ , just as I did on my sister's. Such a shame you aren't _hers_."

In a blink of an eye, Emma had Zelena pressed against the trunk of a pine tree, holding her by the neck, feet barely touching the ground, face close to hers. The wand fell from her grasp and was broken when it hit the ground.

Emma smiled sweetly. "You don't know me," her was voice soft, though chilling.

Zelena could hardly breathe.

Emma moved her left hand to touch at the small bump of the pregnant woman's belly. "How does it feel? Being so close to getting your happiness, only to have it ripped away," the Dark One said, making black tendrils of magic come out from her palm and engulf the stomach that host an innocent child: Zelena's only love.

Zelena's eyes filled with horror for the first time in her life.

"You took Neal; I won't let you take another member of my family. You come at me again, I'll rip out the parasite growing inside you, right before your eyes," Emma said in a slow, menacing voice.

Zelena was shocked, tears burning hot in her eyes as she tried to breathe.

The sound of horses interrupted them. King Arthur was here, with the royal guard, and Merlin, making his way into the diner.

"Don't say I didn't warn you." Emma vanished in a puff of black smoke.

* * *

Inside, King Arthur was calling for the Dark One as Merlin held Excalibur over Hook's head for execution. Emma balled her hands into fists. She looked at Hook and then at Regina, who was crying, pleading for Merlin's help to save Robin, but the wizard was just as powerless. ' _Save him, please,'_ Emma could read in Regina's eyes when they locked gazes. _Again._ And knew she would do it, save him once more, if only for Regina not to suffer; even if that kept them from living their true happy ending together.

"I changed my mind: I do want Excalibur _and_ the Dagger to be one again," the King exclaimed.

He signaled Merlin and the wizard swung the sword in the air, but stopped just before decapitating the pirate, when Emma threw the dagger to Arthur's feet and the King signaled him to stop. Hook was alive, but the sword did leave a small cut behind his neck: an injury that would not heal, as they would find out much later.

Arthur leaned down, and picked the dagger from the floor.

"The Prometheus Flame, now, Dark One."

Emma summoned the small box in her hands.

"What are you waiting for? Share your darkest secret," Arthur commanded her.

Emma tried to fight it, but it was taking all her energy. Arthur was impatient. He kicked Hook to the floor, and moved over to Henry for added pressure.

"Enough!" Emma reacted at that. "My darkest secret is: I have not really forgiven you for abandoning me; for _forcing_ me to be the Savior. When I look deep down, all I see is how much I hate you! I always have and I always will." She cried as she looked at her parents.

In that moment, Snow and Charming realized why they couldn't share True Love's Kiss with their daughter to save her from this curse, why they _never_ might.

"Because I know none of you will ever accept this broken version of me—who I truly am, far from the perfect princess you dreamed about, so I'm done! I'm _repulsed_ by the righteousness of you. And I choose darkness because I hate having to play hero for all of you," this time Emma looked at Regina.

The Prometheus Flame began to glow with a weak light.

"It's working. Don't hold back now, Dark One, let them know the truth, what they all deserve from you," Arthur ordered through the dagger, relishing in how he was breaking this family apart without even having to do it himself.

"And there's nothing I regret more than having saved Robin Hood for YOU," Emma spat, "I hate him! I hate him with every fiber of my being because he gets to live the happy ending I never will," Emma broke down, fell to her knees, crying in her hands.

"What are you talking about? I thought I was your happy ending," Hook reproached.

Emma turned to look up to him, eyes reddened by the tears and anger. "You disgust me. Every minute spent with you made _nauseous._ But I did it because you said I was your happy ending, and being Savior I was, I felt responsible, and betrayed myself and forced something that only broke my spirit. At times I didn't recognize the woman in the mirror: is what you did to me; what _I_ did to myself in the name of True Love— the false promise of it."

The flame glowed with a bright light and King Arthur smiled to himself. He ordered Emma to join the two pieces, and when it was done he held Excalibur in his hands, complete for the second time since it was created. While he was mesmerized by the power and beauty of his mythical weapon, Granny came from behind, and smacked him hard with an iron skillet in the head, causing him to fall, disoriented, losing possession of the sword.

"I was getting too tired of listening to all this bullshit," the old lady told them.

Before his knights could act, Emma threw them against the walls with a gust of magic. She was so angry she had to take it out on somebody, but not anybody, as she couldn't bring herself yet to punish who she really wanted hurting: her family. From all the people in the place, Henry was the only one she didn't condemn; even that small child Ronald, or Roland- whatever the fuck was Robin Hood's son's name, Emma saw him as mommy-bait, and as replacement for her own son for Regina with the outlaw.

She resented everyone, especially King Arthur for making her share her darkest secrets: for breaking her walls against her consent and leaving her exposed, feeling naked and under judgment.

She walked up to where he was trying to focus his vision. His head was still spinning, and all he could feel was how he was being lifted up in the air, to stand on his feet, and when he could see again, face to face with Emma, he saw her wicked smile at him, and then felt as her hand drilled into his chest and ripped out his heart, excruciatingly slowly to inflict the most terrible pain.

"Emma, no!" Her mother cried out, knowing her daughter would be darkening her heart completely.

There would be no coming back: she would become fully a Dark One, but Emma didn't care, and squeezed his heart, rejoicing first in the feeling of the beating in her palm, then how it slowed down the harder she crushed, and when it turned into a cold piece of coal, she was biting her bottom lip, enjoying this feeling of power— _Godlike_ —in her bare hand; how she could decide who lived and who died, just like that. Then it turned to dust,;she stared at her hand stained with the colors of death, the beautiful black from the ash, mixed with crimson of blood, making her palm look like dying embers in the night.

The tendrils of Darkness engulfed her again, and when they were gone, Emma's appearance had changed. White porcelain skin had turned to glittery scales, her hair gone from platinum blonde, to silvery white, and rosy lips now bore a red as deep as the blood dripping from her hand: Arthur's, and her feathered dress now reflect the darkness in her heart; black as dusk.

Zelena had watched the scene from a distance. She stood still by the door to the diner, holding the broken wand in her hand. Emma turned to lock eyes with her, gaze cold and wild, dangerous. The Wicked Witch knew by now better than to tempt her fate with the former Savior.

"I've decided to turn in a new leaf," she announced to her audience.

Regina looked angrily at her. "Have you now."

Robin was still unconscious in her arms, but given how scared they all were at Emma this moment, Regina hesitated to ask her to help him or even to help her remove the cuff from her wrist. Specially not after that confession of loathe for him.

"I've had a change of heart," Zelena was cynical. "Don't look at me like that. To show you I'm changed, I will help you with your thief problem."

Zelena sauntered to where her younger sister lay with the man she'd once victimized, and removed Regina's cuff. "There. That should be enough, or do you want me to heal him?"

"You've done enough." Regina hovered her hand over his head, and slowly he opened his eyes. They smiled sweetly at each other, what made Emma clench her jaw and turn away.

"We'll deal with you when we're back in Storybrooke," Regina said.

Zelena let David place the cuff back on her wrist.

"I'm afraid that's no longer a possibility, not without a magic bean… or a curse," the witch told them, and showed them the broken wand: their passage home.

"That won't be a problem," said Emma.

Everyone turned to look at her with confusion, and watched in fear as she walked up to Regina, who stood before Robin protectively. "Don't worry, I'm not asking you to cast the curse with his heart," the Dark Swan told her, and got much closer. She leaned forward, and for a moment it looked like Emma was going to kiss her, but the kiss never came. Instead, she moved to whisper in her ear. "We both know it wouldn't work, _love,_ " she said the word in the same fashion Hook did; a reminder of the night before.

The Dark Swan turned to look at her parents now. "For what you all did to me," she looked at Zelena as well, then back at Regina "you deserve to be punished."

They all gasped, but there was nothing they could do to stop her, as she made them frozen from the waist down. She summoned a cauldron, then the ingredients, which she tossed into the bubbling puddle in perfect order- like she knew the spell by memory, like she'd been born for dark magic rather than saving.

"Only one more ingredient and we can all go back home!" Emma said happily, almost childishly, and gently caressed Regina's cheek with the back of her bloodied hand. "You."

Regina shivered.

"If only you knew how deeply I really love you," Emma said to her. "I guess I have no other choice than to show you: teach you."

Regina opened her mouth to try and reason with her, but Emma pressed her lips against hers, and just as she gave her the kiss of death, Emma ripped out her heart, and put it inside Regina's palm, covering her hand with hers to guide it— _force_ it to crush the darkened heart inside.

"I'm sorry, Henry. You couldn't have had a better mother than Regina."

"Please don't do this to us," Regina cried in pain as her own hand was forced to crush the heart inside its grasp.

But it wasn't Regina's heart: it was Emma's.

"I have hope you'll find a way to break free," Emma said to her, and forced her hand to finish what she started. "If you don't have the courage to write your story, I still have no regrets, because I've always believed in you. I always will."

"Emma!" Her parents screamed, brokenhearted. "If we break the curse, you'll die!"

"I'm already dead," Emma gave them a weak smile.

She squeezed tighter over Regina's hand, until the heart lost its light and withered away, falling as hopeless particles of nothingness.

Regina cried as she watched Emma fall to her knees, weakened after losing her heart, her paralyzing spell breaking with Emma as well. She was immortal by the Dark One curse, but without a heart, there wasn't a way to break the curse and save Emma at the same time. Meanwhile, the new curse was working its way to bring them back to Storybrooke.

Regina only had a couple of minutes before she might lose Emma forever. This arrangement was oh so cruel, but also selfless. A curse was the only way they could go back home: Emma had sacrificed again for her family. Even in her darkest, she just could not intentionally hurt them, not without a higher purpose.

"Regina, I beg you, please save my daughter," Snow cried, holding onto her arm like a desperate child.

"Did you not see? We _don't_ have what you and Charming have: True Love."

"No! I see it. I _can_ see it in you," Snow cried, holding onto her arm desperately. "You just don't want to believe it."

"It's true, Mom. You can save her. I believe in you both." Henry came to their side.

"Take a leap of faith," David said lastly.

Regina took a deep breath, moved by their words. She gathered her courage and ripped her own heart out, split it in two, and pushed one half into Emma's body and the other back into her chest. "I love you, Emma." She held tightly onto Emma's body as the curse washed over them, and hoped for the best.

* * *

With King Arthur's death, the spell he had cast on the realm, faded away. His people now had memory of the mad King they'd had to submit to, and the realization of this positive event, however grim his end, also informed them he was most certainly gone for good. Queen Guinevere was free to reign a reign of compassion, and to find love— True Love —again, more so for the _first_ time.

With Merlin, in the future, together as free souls.

* * *

Storybrooke

When Emma woke up, moments before the rest of them, she touched her chest. She had lost conscience, but she felt something strange inside her, something unpredicted, something warmer. She tried to rip out her heart but she couldn't. She looked at Regina then.

"You believed."

She kissed Regina's hand, then took all of the memories she didn't want them to have, and hid them in dream catchers. It had to be this way. There were so many hurtful things she didn't want her family remembering, weighing down their spirits. And now more than ever did she must protect Regina's heart, for now they beat as one. If one came to pass, so would her other half, and they couldn't leave Henry all alone in the world. She would have to help Regina break free all over again. She had to play her role.


	6. Glimmer of Light

***** Trigger warning: Rape attempt. Proceed with caution*****

Also, to be on the same page, there was two curses: Emma's Dark One - broken with SQ TL, and the Dark Curse on Storybrooke - unbroken (can't be broken by the person who cast it, unless they rip the scroll apart, which is not a good idea). Fucking confusing they both use "dark" in the name.

* * *

 **Glimmer of Light**

* * *

It was nearing ten in the morning when Regina couldn't take one more minute in bed. Not because she didn't want to be with Emma- she wanted to keep her promise, but because she _really_ needed to pee and because she was also getting very hungry. She was an early bird and it was already three hours past her usual start of the day, and it wasn't like they hadn't had the most intense night in their lives just some hours ago.

Regina slipped out of bed and tiptoed her way to the bathroom; took a quick shower, and wrapped herself in a black cotton bathrobe she found there. Then went downstairs to the kitchen and inspected the fridge, where she only found apple juice, and a box of frozen fish sticks in the freezer but that was about it. _Seriously?_ Dark or light, Emma Swan _still_ ate like a child and Regina smiled at the fondness, though she would be persuading Emma to transition into a more 'adult' diet. Smalls steps.

Regina decided to summon some groceries with her magic and proceeded to make proper breakfast for them. Once the coffee brewer was started, she went on with beating the eggs for their mushroom and cream cheese stuffed omelets. She decided the apple juice was okay and poured two glasses to complement their meal, and once she had everything on the tray, she poofed back to their love nest.

Emma was just beginning to wake up; stirred and turned to the side that was Regina's and upon not feeling her presence in bed, she woke up abruptly. She looked around the room in panic, afraid last night had only been a dream, and when she distinguished the figure she was terribly missing, coming closer to bed to set down a _very_ interesting tray, she let out the air she had been holding in her chest.

"I thought breakfast in bed might interest you," Regina said warmly.

Emma blinked her eyes innocently and sat upright, pulling up the sheets to cover her nude torso. Blushing lightly, she summoned her pajamas, and then breathed in the delicious aroma of their food, closing her eyes as she did.

"That smells so good, mmn…" Emma was immediately drawn. "I've never had breakfast in bed the morning after," she admitted coyly.

"It will be a _first_ for the both of us, my _True Love,"_ Regina smiled to her.

Regina joined Emma in bed. They kissed softly first and then started on their breakfast, sharing memories as well as the food on their plate.

"I'm sorry I hurt you. I did terrible things I wish I could take back," Regina said.

"You weren't the only one. I hurt all of you, too."

"It's what curses do… But it's broken now; we can learn from our mistakes and do what's right from now own." Regina squeezed her hand.

"That's… something I'm not entirely sure of," Emma looked downcast.

Regina gave her a confused look.

"Doing the right thing," Emma said, and brought another forkful of eggs to her mouth before she had to elaborate.

But it was too late; she had mentioned _something_ and Regina would not let it slip.

"What else happened in Camelot, is there something more to know?"

They finished their food and Regina made the tray vanish from bed. She gently took Emma's hand and looked into her eyes.

Emma sighed in defeat, knowing she had to be fully honest.

"Arthur made me confess some deep shit…" Emma ran her hand through her hair. "I had to take some memories away from all of you personally, and locked them away in dream catchers so nobody would remember even if the curse on the town was broken," Emma looked guiltily at her, "Regina, I'm not sure I want anyone to recall them. It will hurt all over again... specially my parents."

"Can you trust me enough to share them with me? We could make a choice together and help ease the weight off your shoulders."

Emma nodded. She summoned the dream catcher of Regina and Regina was hit by the raw emotion of all that transpired before the dark curse brought them here, causing her to tear up.

Emma couldn't look her in the eye but Regina assured her she was fine. Regina enveloped her in a firm embrace and told her that her feelings were valid no matter if they were hurtful; this was how she felt deep down, and she was sorry for having forced her to save Robin Hood against her will, and was also sorry she risked her life here in Storybrooke, trying to pay the price of Robin's life with hers, because that had really upset Emma once they were here. Everything was just a fucking mess.

Regarding what the confession bomb did to Emma's parents, she told her; "Snow and Charming are stronger than you believe, trust me: I know. _We_ are stronger together, our family is, so I think you should trust them to find it in their hearts to understand and give you time to heal. These memories as much as they hurt, they belong to them, Emma. To all of us."

"I know. I just… can't forget the look in their eyes; how they broke apart because of me. I can't do that to them again."

Regina cradled Emma's face in her hands and kissed her lips again. "I understand. But I love you too much to let you carry the weight of this secret on your back for the rest of your life. It's time we all come clean with our hearts. Hiding things from one another, that's no basis for a happy beginning."

Emma nodded at that.

"Which reminds me, where you _really_ going to sleep with me while I _was Hook_? Oh and for the love I have for our son, I swear I didn't do that magic trick intentionally; it was an accident. I was wishing so hard I could be by your side, I guess my magic went haywire like that. I was too shaken by you sacrificing for me and the revelation of our feelings."

"Maybe I had a _little_ bit to do with that," Emma said apologetic. "I too wished things were different between us and that I could- well, get _anything_ I could get with you. I wished for a moment he were you, or that what I felt for you I could transfer onto him. And then you were there. I felt your energy inside him and I was _so_ tempted—Darkness is some deep shit that fucks up with your psyche, let me tell you, and I wanted to test and push you; see how low we could both sink… I wanted us to sink, as fucked up as that is. But you didn't."

"What if I had?"

"To be honest, at that moment it made no difference; all I wanted was a taste at you. I was so broken at that point I was ready to ruin our only chance at True Love and take _anything_ , corrupting what we had if that was the only way to have you. I think—No: I _know_ now that was darkness working to spoil what we had, because then you would not be able to save my soul. Our love would be tainted."

"I'm deeply sorry, Emma. I am. I must admit, as shameful as it makes me feel, I was very tempted to take your offer. As much as I've changed, some impulses still linger in the depths of my darkened heart."

"I understand now that feeling," Emma nodded. "And I didn't exactly make it easy; I practically _threw_ myself at you. Being with you, it didn't matter what you looked like. I just… wanted so hard to possessed by you. I was... pretty horny. Though my favorite Regina will _always_ be _naked_ Regina," she bashfully admitted.

"Oh?" Regina raised an eyebrow.

Emma smiled coyly, her 'Dark Swan' bravado watered down, giving space to the more demure version of herself to rise.

Regina found her shy admittance adorable. She came slowly toward Emma, crawling on bed like an elegant feline, and straddled her lap. Slowly, she opened the black cotton bathrobe to reveal her nudity underneath, enjoying how Emma's mouth gaped at the vision and how her pupils dilated with desire and novelty, admiring her naked body in full light and detail.

"So let me give you what you _deserve_ , Em-ma," Regina sensually intoned.

She gently pushed Emma to lie on her back and leaned down to kiss her lips, quickly deepening in intensity as Regina's tongue sought entrance to her mouth, joining hers in a sloppy dance. Regina broke the kiss, sensually pulling at Emma's bottom lip with her teeth as she parted from her mouth to move to kiss her chin, then the side of her jaw, and continued rolling down until she was kissing her neck leisurely. Then she vanished Emma's pajamas at once with magic.

Emma was groaning, aching to feel those lips somewhere down below, and Emma dragged her fingers down her lover's back and squeezed her ass hard. "Regina," the woman moaned wanton, and a small cry came out her throat when Regina bit her left nipple and pressed her thigh against her juicy core in response to her demands. Emma's head was spinning at this point, and she hadn't even reached climax yet.

Regina continued torturing her with slow kisses, moving slowly down to kiss and lick Emma's sexy abs, and rolling her tongue around the navel to give Emma a vivid idea of how she would be doing it to her clit; she locked eyes with Emma and gave her a lustful look, making green eyes darken in desire and white teeth chew on her bottom lip, anticipating the pleasure that was sure to come.

"Fuuuuuck, Regina," Emma gutturally groaned when the woman suckled on her engorged clit and slipped her middle finger inside her velvety slickness. Emma's legs involuntarily tensed and clamped her in.

It was music to Regina's ears, hearing her name in Emma's voice so raw, and when Emma brought her hands to hold her head, she smiled to herself and pushed a second finger into her. _"Mmnh,"_ Regina moaned into Emma's pussy as she circled her tongue around her sensitive hood and began slowly pumping and twisting her fingers inside her hot, wet cunt.

Emma was writhing uncontrollably under her, finding it close to impossible not to push the woman between her legs away as she devoured her with so much expertise. It was so fucking good it was driving her insane and over the edge; her muscles were contracting with every push, every lick, and Emma finally lost it when Regina sucked her hard clit and hit her g-spot just in perfect synch, sending a wave of pleasure through her whole body like electricity.

It took Emma a while to come down from cloud nine. Regina patiently waited, keeping her fingers inside her until Emma's muscles relaxed completely. It felt wonderful to feel the peaks and drops in their movement, and slowly she retrieved them and licked Emma's orgasm off her fingers. Regina crawled up to her side and kissed her mouth, sharing the nectar of Emma's forbidden fruit with her in a wet kiss.

After making Emma come so hard, Regina suggested they take a nap. She motioned her to come to her arms and brought her head to rest over her heart. Regina gently caressed Emma's head, stroking messy blonde hair, damp with sweat, as Emma closed her eyes to give into slumber in her warm embrace. Today was a perfect day to be spent in bed, enjoying this newfound love and their fevering need for each other's body. There was no magic strong enough that could tear them apart from each other this moment. _Not today, Satan._

Too soon.

There was knocking on the door, but they didn't answer. They knocked again, but it felt like they were going to _demolish_ the door and they had to react to that, wrapping themselves in whatever they found closer to their grasp; Regina taking the bed sheet, Emma her bathrobe to come downstairs to tend to the desperate call.

"Love, I've changed m'mind. Miss you."

Hook was slurring. He knocked once more, but it wasn't knocking; he was _kicking_ the goddamn door, growing more aggressive as time passed.

"Ohpen the bloody doorr before I tear it down, Swan. Yer man needs ya!"

Emma opened the door ajar, but she didn't expect him to be in the state he was; drunk off his ass again. He pushed the door forward and strode inside before Emma could react, and attempted to kiss her, but she stopped him, pushing him a step back with the palm of her hand, but her hand was trembling; her magic hadn't reestablished fully.

"Killian, now's not the time," Emma softly warned him.

"Come now, we both know you just play hard to get, luv, stop pretending you don't want this, it's getting old," he leaned down abruptly and pressed his lips to the corner of Emma's mouth, as she could only manage to turn sideways to evade a full kiss.

" _The fuck_ I'm playing hard to get! Get the hell out!"

She shoved him back with (weak) magic and that only enraged him.

"So you think you can waste my time and get away with it, just like that?"

"If you stay put we can ta—"

"Stay put? I'm not your fucking _lapdog_ _!_ I'm done waiting; it's time I harvest the fruit of my labor whether it's ripe or bitter, _you dry cunt_."

Hook was aggressive, grabbed Emma by the wrists and pushed her to the sofa, causing her to fall on her back in it, with him on top. And as he kept a firm grip on her wrists, hoisted above her head, he forcefully kissed her neck while Emma begged him to let go. Regina, upon hearing Emma's pleas, poofed downstairs without caring at her presentation this moment, and found them as Hook tried to get his way with her True Love. Infuriated, she shot a big fireball at his back, hitting his leather coat, which was quickly ablaze with all the alcohol he had over himself.

Emma was shocked at everything that was happening, unable to react.

As the pirate rolled on the floor, Regina entertained the idea of letting him scorch to a miserable death, but one look at Emma's eyes, merciful gaze even this moment, she waved her hand and stopped the fire. It wasn't worth it. They would take him to justice- whatever it was their system nowadays.

Regina immobilized Hook with an enchanted rope, and ran to Emma's side to hold her tight.

"It's alright, Emma, I'm here. He can never touch you again. You're safe, my love."

Emma held onto Regina tightly, crying into her neck. She hadn't seen it coming but the red flags had always been there; she just… had chosen to see the good in him instead. Some Savior she was; she couldn't even protect herself. But the nightmare was over now. Hook would not harass her or any other woman again, ever. They would make sure of that.

* * *

Charming came as soon as Regina informed him of the incident, telling him if he didn't hurry up she would most likely commit homicide. It was horrible news to receive and the worried father came as fast as he could, nervous of what he would find once here, but was relieved Regina had been there to stop it before it got worse. He decided to wait until seeing Emma to decide how to tell Snow about the appalling event.

David noticed Emma looked her normal self again, but didn't ask. There were other more important things right now, such as dealing with Emma's sexual offender. They would have time later to talk about this, as the curse over the town remained and they still had no memories of the event and not even a clue at _who_ cast this curse, since nobody was missing. For these reasons he wasn't completely sure if Emma was really no longer the Dark Swan, or was pretending; Dark Ones weren't infamous for their sincerity or selfless deeds. But the fear in his daughter's eyes felt too real to be faked and it made his heartbeat rise, but he knew to control his impulses until he had answers to make a verdict.

As David shoved Hook inside the back of the patrol, the pirate yelled, "You won't sleep with me, but let the Evil Queen defile you? I knew you were dumb but not that fucking stupid, Emma!"

David's blood boiled at that. He punched him in the face and told him he had the right to remain silent _\- or just better fucking do_ -for his own good _._ He slammed the door shut, then reached to hug his daughter, but she flinched and settled in Regina's arms instead, and it broke his heart. Maybe Emma was still angry with them, or it was her body reacting to being touched and that made him hate the pirate even more, because now his daughter was so scared she even reacted at her own father. And to think he had started to consider him a friend and even part of their family; it was sickening.

David felt deeply disappointed in himself for failing to protect Emma from the lecherous man they knew had a questionable past with women; he felt like the worst father in history, making mistake after mistake when it came to protecting his little princess.

 _How could he be so naive?_ He huffed.

Though, right now, some things just didn't connect. Emma didn't look like a Dark One anymore, but Hook was drunk and had done something no True Love ever would; it made no sense. _Had Killian shared True Love's kiss with their daughter or not?_ _Had he wanted more after knowing they shared it, but Emma wasn't ready for it in his state? And how did Regina fit in here? Where had Hook's disgusting comment even come from?_ So many questions were flooding his mind. This was scrambled eggs for Charming to digest. Or maybe not really.

David turned to look again at Emma inside Regina's arms, and smiled the smallest smile, knowingly.

"You don't have to answer anything unless you feel like sharing, Emma," her father said compassionately. "You can come to the station whenever you feel ready." He cautiously approached her this time, and very gently squeezed her shoulder.

Emma nodded, wiping away at her tears.

"Thanks," David said to Regina. And there was so much emotion in his eyes, words weren't needed for her to understand all he wanted to convey. Her own eyes pooled with tears but she gave him a small smile in return, then he left, dragging Hook with him to the station to be locked away.

* * *

As soon as Snow arrived to the station, she came running to her daughter, cupping her face in her hands and inspecting her for any injuries. Emma smiled, touched at the worry in her mother's face, and gently pulled her mother her into a hug, rounding her waist with her arms and nestling her chin on the curve where shoulder meets neck.

Calmly, she whispered; "It's alright, mom. I'm okay now."

Snow's body started shaking then from the intensity her cries came all at once. "No it's not!" She whimpered. "I can't-" Snow's voice was breaking, "If anything happened to you I would die from the pain, Emma."

"Mom, don't say that," Emma started sobbing with her.

"It's my fault. This is all my fault," Snow groaned in pain.

Emma broke the hug then. "No! How can this be your fault? I won't let you blame yourself for something he did," she shot a death glare at the man in the cell at the far end of the room, pointing accusingly at him with her hand.

"Your loss, love," Hook sneered, grabbing at his crotch as he lie along the tiny bed, posing for them.

Regina decided to use her magic and knock him out.

Snow noticed it then; the bruise in Emma's wrist, and her pain worsened.

"It's _my_ fault! If I had known, I wouldn't have asked you to give yourself a chance with him," the broken woman shouted in anger directed at herself. "I didn't see the signs, I'm so stupid! I'm so sorry I couldn't protect you; I can't seem to ever be around when you need me most. _God,_ Emma, all I do is fail you. I _always_ fail you," the words were heavy in her chest, "I don't deserve you or your forgiveness, I'm a terrible mother! I should protect you and yet I-," Mary Margaret broke down and fell on her knees, taking Emma's hands very carefully in hers, "I'm sorry. I am so, so sorry, Emma."

Emma broke down in tears as well, joining her mother on the floor and pulling Snow into her embrace again to cry together. Regina watched them from a small distance, letting them have this moment. It was not a good time to even think of giving Emma's parents back those painful memories from Camelot, and so she just smiled sadly at the moving image of mother and daughter bonding over guilt. Maybe Emma was right; they shouldn't remember the deepest, darkest secret their daughter carried in her heart. Ever.

David came to their side, and held on tightly onto his wife and his daughter, crying with them. They remained like that for a while; weeping their hearts out until they had to take a rest so they could recover their breath. Once they did, Snow noticed Emma's change: she was not the Dark One anymore. In her despair and fear, the hurry to see her daughter, Snow hadn't even remembered for a second that Emma had become dark at some point.

"Emma!" The surprised mother exclaimed, gently taking golden ringlets of hair from her ponytail in her fingers, not paying attention to the messiness in them.

Emma smiled at that, at the change in her mother's semblance that went from broken to hopeful and even joyful in a second.

"How? When?" Her mother asked bewildered.

Emma was slightly nervous at the question. She looked at Regina and Regina gave her a look that suggested she didn't have to say it if she didn't feel ready. But Emma was ready; she couldn't and didn't want to hide this beautiful truth she carried in her heart any longer.

"Regina." Emma smiled as she looked deep into her lover's eyes. Regina felt her heart melt.

Snow looked at Regina then, and back at her daughter. "True Love's Kiss?"

"I'm in love with her; I've been for as long as I've… well, always. I just didn't want to see the truth myself because…" Emma didn't dare tell them her fear.

"We might reject you," David completed for his daughter.

Emma nodded sadly. "Do you?"

Regina covered her stomach with her hands protectively, feeling also exposed and under judgment for this, for _corrupting_ their precious princess.

"Oh Emma," Snow looked so sweetly at her, taking Emma's hands in hers gently. "Nothing can change the love we feel for you. You're ourdaughter, and we love and accept you just the way you are," her mother said with conviction, to their surprise. But really they shouldn't have been so surprised, as Snow White had given a hope speech to Ruby so she followed her heart, regardless of what that love might look like.

She then extended a hand at Regina, who was flabbergasted at what was happening and how positive they were reacting, and the mayor came to their side as the former teacher beckoned her. Regina let Snow take her hand and move it to cover Emma's as her own lay atop the two.

"Regina… You're a vital part of our story, and always will be. I took love from you once; now I'm giving it back. I trust you'll protect and provide our daughter with the family we never could," she said to the former Evil Queen. "You owe me this much," Snow White said sympathetically, though firmly.

Regina couldn't contain her tears anymore, nodding in agreement without being able to speak.

Kindly, David took their hands in his as well, enveloping them symbolically with the warmth of his support.

"A wise man once told me True Love was a glimmer of light amongst an ocean of darkness… And though he might not always be right about his ways of getting a happy ending, he was right about this. You were each other's light when you were drowning in darkness, and that is the most powerful magic of all," David looked warmly at both women. "Just… make each other happy from now on."

Emma and Regina wept silently, feeling overwhelmed.

"We love you," Snow and Charming said at the same time.

Light began glowing in their conjoined hands, and a magical rainbow burst from them, traveling across the town and lifting the curse. Their memories came back at once, minus the confession ones, and they turned to look at Emma in shock.

Snow brought her hand to Emma's chest and Emma smiled.

"We have more in common than we thought," Snow pointed out.

Not only were Emma and Regina _True Love,_ but also of one heart.


End file.
